Welcome back to my blog! Just like many of you amazing photographers, I am trying to turn what started as a hobby into a career. And, as you all know, it is hard!!!
Disclaimer: This post is not so much about photography but about my journey as I start to develop my own business. I know this is not something that might interest everybody so if this is not for you, that's ok! Click here to check out my other posts with lots of photography information.
Also, this post includes what helped me in my journey and what "steps" I followed and it might get a little bit cheesy so you've been warned!
Turn your hobby into a career
First things first... Is your hobby a career? Well, I am a firm believer that whatever it is that you do, there is room in the market for you. Before you think I've lost it, let me explain. If your hobby is related to art then you definitely have a market. Art is art! Not everybody will understand it or like it but there will be hundreds of thousands of people that will love what you do. You just need to get to know your audience.
Now, if your hobby is not an art and it's more like organizing closets or cleaning pavers, then I don't think I need to tell you there are people out there who need their closets organized and their pavers sparkling clean. Is all about what you make of it.
Next steps
So, what’s the next step. Well, very good question! For me was working on myself funnily enough. Working on my confidence, working on believing in and loving myself and what I do. So my next step was literally myself!
I don’t know about you but for me, the hardest part is not doubting myself. I constantly questioned myself like “Am I good enough?”, “Am I wasting my time trying this?”, “Will I make it?”… The list of questions is endless and quite disheartening I might admit. It's hard for some people like me to believe that what I do is good and it will help people one way or the other. Whether it is to figure out what not to do, what you don't like, or what you truly love, it doesn't matter. The truth is that if I can help in any way shape or form then all the hard work is worth it. At least to me it is...
So, you know what? We only have one life so why not make the most of it? I know this is not something we can flick a switch and change how we feel and think but try it. It took me a long time (hence why I didn't start this blog sooner) but I'm getting there and if I can, then you can too, so there! Let’s get rid of all those negative questions and say “YES I can do it and YES I am good enough and YES my work is worth being out there”.
What do I want?
After that, I made a plan. What do I want to achieve?
Do I just want to get paid for taking pictures? Do I want to do weddings? Do I want a Youtube channel (this was a straight NO for me – I admire people who can talk straight to a camera because it’s just not my thing)? Do I want a blog? Do I want a studio? Do I just want to shoot things that I love and sell prints online? In my case I want to be a portrait and product photographer but I also want to share my knowledge to make it easier for other people which ended up with me having my own website/blog.
So ask yourself, what do you want? The sky is the limit! Don’t think something is too much because is not. Just write down what you want and let’s work for it, together.
Understanding your competition
In any business, they say you need to know your competition and I agree with that 100%. So go to Google and search for anything that might be remotely related to your hobby. In my case, I searched "photographers in Christchurch", "photography blog", "product photographer near me". Get creative in your searches because this will give you an idea of what is already out there.
Now please don't freak out after your research. Yes, there is a lot of competition out there but there is only one you. Nobody can do things exactly like you do so the key here is to include in those goals how you are going to separate yourself from everybody else. So for example in my case, I thought I would create a photography blog that shows every mistake I've made because that's something I couldn't find when I first started. I also wanted my website to look/read/sound like as if I was talking to a friend. There is no way another person in the world had the same experiences with the same mistakes and feelings and expressed herself like me. It's just not possible. So find that! What makes you, you and that will be your selling point.
What do I need?
Once I had my list of sky-high goals, I know what makes me unique and I've looked around in the market, I said “Ok, Belen, what do you need?” If I want to create a blog, do I need writing lessons? Do I need a website? Do I need to learn how to build a website? Make a list of the things you need. I personally like to learn things so I don’t mind enrolling in all sorts of courses but if you don’t, you might want to include “hire a website developer” or things like that.
Take your time
Now, let’s get to work! You have your goals,
you know what you need, let’s get to business. One thing that is extremely important is to try not to rush into things! Things will happen when they have to. It is easier said than done, I know, but just remind yourself that good things take time. So be patient. I started with what was easier for me. Believe it or not, it wasn’t the logo. I started writing the blog posts because it was what I could do without getting overwhelmed. This way was more enjoyable to me, but hey, it’s your journey so do what feels right. It might not make sense right now but once you start, you will feel it so trust your instinct.
So yeah, just start doing what you can. This will help with the feeling of “I’m getting stuck” or “I don’t know what to do next!” because you have a list of things that your goal requires so pick the one that feels like the easiest and go ahead with it.
Legal Requirements
Even though there is no right or wrong order to do this, there are a few things you will need to do before you start your own business.
Now that you have your business idea clear, decide on a name and register your company. I do recommend you check the company's name early on because you don't want to start building something like a social media presence under a name that belongs to an existing company.
Also, can you operate as a sole trader? Is it better to be registered as a company or a partnership? Do you have to register for GST (goods and service tax)? Those are all questions you need to ask yourself.
Every country is different so please familiarize yourself with your country's business legal requirements.
This might take some time and money but once is done you don't have to worry about it.
Running into issues
One major problem when you are starting a business: Money! Yes, I struggled too. I think in a way or two, we all do. It is very stressful, I am not going to lie, but if you start with things that you can do it will feel like everything is moving forwards, even if it’s slowly. For example: need a logo and don’t have the correct software? Do it by hand! Draw it on a piece of paper, maybe later when you become a successful photographer or whatever it is you are trying to achieve you can frame it! There, you get a logo and office decorations for free.
Another example is learning through YouTube. I couldn’t afford a website developer, so I learned through YouTube and blogs. My website may not be perfect but it’s mine and I did it all by myself, so it’s great! Be creative.
Money is important, yes! But you can still achieve plenty of milestones without it. When my partner started his business, he needed a booking system and we couldn’t afford all the fancy ones, so I created a fantastic spreadsheet! All it took was time and dedication. It is hard work, but it is not impossible, always remember that.
And to wrap this up because it’s becoming longer than what I wanted, I think is important to say that I haven’t reached all my goals just yet and I’m still growing as a person, as a photographer, and even as a civil engineer which I have been doing it for quite a while now but I’m absolutely loving it. I do have my ups and downs like everybody else and there are some days where I just want to throw everything away. But at the end of the day, every time I pick up my camera and take a picture, it reminds me of how much I love what I do. Regardless of how good or bad my pictures might be, I love it, I enjoy it and I’m grateful for it.
Sorry for the cheesiness... It will happen from time to time but I think it's important to me to truly show myself and for you to know that I struggled and continue to struggle as much as you might be.
Lots of love,
Belen
Comments